Minister’s maiden official visit boosts ties with Indonesia

PUTRAJAYA: Datuk Seri Mohamad Hasan’s maiden official visit to Jakarta as Foreign Minister on Tuesday is testament to the close ties between Malaysia and Indonesia, according to the Foreign Ministry.

During the visit, he paid a courtesy call on Indonesian President Joko Widodo, better known as Jokowi.

The ministry said the visit is an extension of Malaysia’s attempts to fortify its relationship with Indonesia and improve collaboration within the Asean region.

“The foreign minister also touched on the need to intensify border trade activities at Tebedu (Sarawak) and Entikong (Kalimantan) to reach US$30 billion (RM143 billion) in annual trade as agreed to by both leaders,” said the ministry in a statement.

Mohamad, who was appointed as the foreign minister on Dec 12, 2023, also had a meeting with his Indonesian counterpart Retno Marsudi.

According to the statement, Malaysia and Indonesia also discussed bilateral, regional, and international issues of mutual interest.

“The meeting was an opportunity for both sides to take stock of the progress of bilateral cooperation and explore new potential avenues for further strengthening the existing partnership.”

The foreign minister also exchanged views with Jokowi and his Indonesian counterpart on regional and global developments, focusing on the situation in Myanmar and the conflict in Palestine.

Both countries reiterated their commitment to addressing discrimination against palm oil, Bernama reported.

In 2023, Indonesia was ranked as Malaysia’s third largest trading partner among Asean member states, with total trade amounting to RM111.21 billion.

The statement said Mohamad discussed with his Indonesian counterpart about resolving the Myanmar crisis through Asean.